Serves you right!

I should post this in my kitchen or really just inscribe it in my hand wherever I go!

The purpose of The Food Pyramid is to assist people in meeting daily nutrient recommendations while providing relatively few serving sizes for each food group.

According to the USDA, serving sizes in the Pyramid are determined through four factors:

Consideration of typical portion sizes from food consumption surveys.

Convenience in relation to common measuring sizes.

Nutrient content.

Sizes from previous guides.

One serving of grain: one cup of whole grain cereal, one fourth of a bagel, one cup of pasta.One serving of vegetables: five cherry tomatoes, five sticks of celery, one whole carrot.One serving of fruit: a medium apple, fifteen large grapes, half a banana.One serving of dairy: one cup of milk, three cheese cubes, half cup of low fat cottage cheese.One serving of meat: 1/4 chicken breast, daily guide line: one fist full per meal.

Oh say can you see The French Paradox?

“The French paradox has long stymied American dieters and scientists, puzzled by the ability of the French to remain trim while downing buttery croissants, creamy brie and decadent pastries. Just 7 percent of French adults are obese, as compared with 22 percent of Americans, and the mortality rate from heart disease is significantly lower in France.

In just one of the 11 comparisons, between Hard Rock Cafes in both cities, were the Parisian portions larger. Three other international restaurant chains consistently served larger portions in the U.S., and Philadelphia’s Chinese restaurants served meals that were on average 72 percent heftier than those served by Chinese restaurants in Paris.”